How To Train Your Lusus
by ugh
Summary: Your name is TEREZI PYROPE. You have been BLIND since you were HATCHED and nobody has ever taken you seriously as a TROLL VIKING.
1. Chapter 1

This is Alternia. Probably the weirdest planet you'll ever come across. It's occupied by troll Vikings who are very violent in nature, but we like it that way. It's located outside of some ring somewhere with two moons of some colors I've never seen. We're all pretty much all raised by our guardians until we're seven sweeps old, but then we're out of luck. Us kids have to find a new guardian after that. And if you don't get one within a sweep, well, you just never get one. Period.

Anyway, we call our new guardian a "lusus". You can essentially choose one, but it has to choose you, too. They come in all shapes and sizes, or so I hear. Some are big, some are small, some are just right size where you can ride them unironically, and some you can train to fight one another for money, which is what we do with them most of the time. The only problem is you have to catch one yourself, and once you do, you're stuck with it until it dies. Or you die. Whichever comes first.

But enough about them. My name is Terezi Pyrope. I chose the name myself last sweep. Yeah, we do that, too. It's the first step towards adulthood. I—

"Terezi, get back inside, the sun's almost up!" Uuugggghhhhhh. That's the adult troll who raised me. She calls herself "Mindfang". She's pretty cool, I guess, and the town blacksmith. She's also never had a lusus, and she's one of the two oldest trolls in the tiny village I live in.

"Okay!" I answered. It sucks not being able to see. Oh yeah, did I mention I was blind?

"Yeah, get back inside! I'm hungry!" Vriska yelled. Vriska Serket is pretty much Mindfang's protégé. She even has the same horns, or so she claims. She and I love listening to her stories about the pirate queen "Marquise Spinneret" and how she went on all sorts of adventures pillaging and whatnot.

I went inside to the warm fireplace and sat down in front of it. I hate it when it gets cold outside. I guess it's time to start wearing my fur again. Mindfang skinned it from an enormous wolfbeast that attacked our hive once. It took her arm and injured her eye, but she was still able to kill it. But do I believe her stories? I do not.

"So, the lusus-searching event starts tomorrow," Mindfang said. "Do the Scourge Sisters have anything in mind?"

"A spider!" yelled Vriska without hesitation.

"Because it has to do with the number eight, right?"

"N-no!" she stammered. Then she whispered, "Yes."

"That's perfectly okay. Eight is great. How about you Terezi?"

"I dunno," I shrugged. "It's not like people will take me seriously no matter what lusus I get." Frankly, I don't really care.

"Feferi already has one!" Vriska piped. Oh yes, Feferi Peixes. She's pretty much the top dog around these parts. She's really tough, and her voice is pretty, so that means she's pretty, too. She's a seadweller, but still hangs out with us landdwellers with her moirail Eridan Ampora. We're pretty much in a cold war with them at the moment.

"You know those were extenuating circumstances," Mindfang added.

"Doesn't make me any less jealous," Vriska mumbled. I can feel her crossing her arms and glaring from here.

"I hope I get a cool one that I can ride," I said. "Maybe one that flies, like a big bird or a… a…"

"A dragon, right?" Vriska snickered. "Yeah, okay."

"It could happen!"

"She's right, Vriska," Mindfang corrected, coming to my rescue. "We haven't had a dragon lusus in generations. Not since the great Redglare." Redglare is my idol. She was an awesome legislacerator and never lost a fight. She even took down an entire fleet of pirate vessels with her lusus, capturing the great Marquise Spinneret. Sometimes I pretend I'm her. "Her death was the last time anyone ever saw a dragon."

The next night, I woke up on time, ready for the lusus-searching initiation. It's pretty much when all the trolls who are of age that sweep come together in the middle of town and have a huge party. Not really. They all just get together and have a free-for-all to choose their weapons.

I get there early to memorize the place. I counted twelve posts with twelve weapons displayed on twelve slabs. You know, I think there are twelve of us who are old enough. I gasped when I felt one of the weapons. It was a rifle. But not just any rifle: Ahab's Crosshairs! They say that you never miss your target with that weapon. Oh, what I would do to get it! I went six paces to the center of the ring of weaponry and plopped my butt down, facing the weapon. I'm not going to move from this spot.

About an hour later, trolls start trickling out of the neighboring hives, whispering. "Isn't that Terezi?" "I thought she was blind." "Nobody told _me_ she was going to be here!" "She's never going to be a real troll Viking." "Go home, you dumb blind girl!"

"Hey, why don't you say that to my face?!" I yelled, standing up to face whoever just said that. Shit, I lost my bearings. Whoever it was didn't say anything back, so I just sat back down in what I thought was the correct spot. Slowly, the ring was filled with trolls my age, talking amongst themselves about what weapons were cooler and whatnot.

First, there was Feferi. Even though she got a lusus already, she still needed a weapon. Eridan followed, in a heated discussion with his moirail. Then there was Tavros. He's sweet, but make him mad enough and he'll deal you some sick fires with words. After him came the twins, Nepeta and Equius. Equius is so tough, he probably doesn't even need weapons. Then there was… Karkat Vantas. I tried not to giggle like a wiggler when I heard his obnoxious voice.

Vriska joined in last, sitting back-to-back with me. "Ignore them," she said. "You're going to kick all of their asses."

"Thanks, Vriska," I replied. "Hey, can you tell me if—"

"Attention!" The announcer's shouting hurt my ears. I need to see with those! "Welcome to the first day of training to get a lusus! When I yell 'Go,' the twelve of you will run to a weapon. The only rule is finders keepers. Got it?"

"Yes, sir!" we all shouted. I get ready. I needed that gun.

"Ready?" A pause. "GO!"

It's definitely a free-for-all, everyone tripping over each other to get to their favorite weapon. I'm the fastest when I go straight, so I make a beeline towards one of the weapon displays. I hit the stone slab and grasp the slim, heavy rod and lift it off. Wait, where's the handle? I felt around for it but only felt more rod. Oh, no. This is the cane. Crap, I missed! I trudge back to the center, only to trip over the angry one.

"Watch it!" he yelled.

"Sorry, Mr. Red," I mocked. I nicknamed Karkat Mr. Red for reasons.

"What?! Why red?"

"Because you're angry all the time. And red is usually color associated with anger. So, Mr. Red!"

"Don't call me that! Red is most associated with the flushed quadrant, not anger!"

"Does it?" I paused to pretend to think. "Hmm, you'd have to show me sometime."

"You—fu—I—th-that's not!" he stammered.

"Hehehehehehe," I laughed. "So what'd you get?" I asked, sitting next to him.

"That's none of your business," he mumbled. "I can work with it." I can feel him stroking his weapon in the close proximity.

"You got the sickle, didn't you? Isn't that a farming tool?"

"Yeah, what of it?!"

"Whoa, no need to get defensive. They say it isn't what you have, it's what you do with it."

"That's for a lusus, dumbass."

"So? It can be applied to other stuff."

"Hmph."

After some silence, I asked, "So who got Ahab's Crosshairs?"

"Arab's what?"

"The rifle."

"Oh. Eridan did."

"What a waste."

"Tell me about i—wait, why am I even talking to you? We have to listen to the announcer guy now." He scooted off. Rude. I scowled and faced away from his general direction, finding a place to mount my new weapon.

The announcer got everyone's attention again. "Now to catch your lusus. Go!"

"And how do we do that?!" Sollux shouted. He doesn't visit the village often. He lives up in the mountains somewhere. I'm surprised he's actually here at all.

"No rules, just go." Nobody moved. "GO!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

Everyone scattered, including myself. I ran to the woods and the trees, where I felt most at home. If there was anything I knew how to do on my own, it was climbing trees and setting traps.

How does one catch a dragon, though?

A week passed. Two fellow trolls got lusii. Eridan scored himself a seahorse just big enough to ride and can also fly. Sollux snagged a biclops, a mean but dense creature with two heads and one eye on each, and lived exclusively in the mountains. I read all I could about what dragons ate that week. I also figured out that my cane had a sword inside. That's really cool. I thanked Mindfang the minute I found out and started training right away.

A month after that, three more of us got lusii. Gamzee got a seagoat completely by accident when he was out boating. Equius was happy with his one-of-a-kind centaur. Devastated, Nepeta ran off and later came back bruised and scratched riding a giant, two-mouthed wildcat.

Just a few days later, Kanaya retreated into the caves and found a mother grub, which are almost as rare as dragons. The next day, Aradia nursed a ram back to health after it rescued her from Vriska's bullying. Did I know that Vriska bullied Aradia? Now I do. She will pay someday.

The most impressive was Karkat. Well, not really. Three months had gone by, and he was frustrated that not one lusus came to him. He turned to the water. He was nearly drowned by Gamzee's lusus, who thought he was a toy and dragged him down. I heard that Karkat started to skin him with his sickle to let him go and ended up nicking himself instead, which made his crab lusus come rescue him. It was pathetic watching a lusus drag a troll onshore, according to Vriska. But Karkat is resilient. He made up for it by training hard, both in and out of the water.

Two more months, nothing. My traps weren't working! What was I doing wrong? My plans were perfect, my calibrations excellent, but only the bait was missing. Maybe I have to make a trail. I refuse to not have a lusus. And I refuse to lower my standards just so I can be accepted into society.

Then, Vriska barged into my respiteblock, absolutely livid.

"Tavros got a lusus before I did!" she yelled.

"Ooh, what did he get?" I asked.

"Something lame. A tiny bull."

"Tell him congratulations for me."

"Hell no! I should have had one by now!" She collapses next to you in a huff.

"Maybe you should go to the caves, like Kanaya did. Lots of spiders live there." At least, I think so. Anything to get her out of my respiteblock. All she does is make a bigger mess of my mess. I like my mess just the way it is.

"Maybe you should stop making dragon carvings and start finding a lusus."

"Are you always this mean when you don't get what you want?"

"Shut _up_, Terezi! It's just bad luck, that's all. I'll find one tomorrow, just you wait."

And that, she did.

Vriska did what I said and went to the caves. It wasn't until just before sunrise before she came back out, covered in her own blood. I knew it was blood because it has a distinct smell. She had the giant lusus on a leash. I had waited for her outside those caves all day and didn't hear a sound until I heard her footsteps and her whispered, fatigued words, "I told you I'd get a spider today. Looks like my luck has changed."

Half a sweep has gone by since that day the announcer said, "GO!" I was now very capable with my canekind, but it wasn't enough, according to troll standards. Mindfang took me under her wing as an apprentice to be a blacksmith. It was too hot in there, and I never did anything right. The only thing I learned how to do well was sharpen blades and make slings.

Everyone was doing well in their lusus training. Karkat soared to the top, just below Feferi. Everyone was shocked, including Vriska and Eridan. In landstrifing, Karkat took down that giant spider in less than five blows, and Vriska in seven, just to piss her off. Eridan challenged him in an underwater duel and according to Karkat, cried mercy when the crab pulled the seahorse by his tail in his claw, yanking him off of his high horse. Karkat only had to come up for air once. The girls in town swoon over him now. It's not like I'm jealous or anything.

I started thinking about what other lusii I could get. A fish wouldn't do my any good, but at least it was something. If I had a giant wolf I could ride, at least people will take me seriously. A snake was also semi-rare, but endangered and live on the purple moon in captivity. Giant spiders are pretty much the best you can get without really trying, and Vriska had one of those now. But what I really wanted was a dragon. I read that they were famous for their fearsome glares, speed, and perfect aim. No one has seen them in a long time. But that's not going to stop me now!

Today's going to be the day.

"Terezi, don't do this, the sun is still up," Mindfang warned me.

"It's not like I can see anyway, so I just have to wear protective clothing," I countered. "Plus I'm practically an expert in fighting now, so…"

"Good riddance," Vriska commented. I sighed. She's become quite the bitch now that she got her lusus. She completely alienated me that day, and we aren't as close as before.

"I'm just going to set my traps while it was still daylight so that no other lusus will come for it." Lie. I brought a sling with me this time.

There has been strong, incriminating evidence that there has been dragon activity afoot. Scratches and dead scales have been found in the trees my traps were in.

I stepped into the light. Man, it's hot! I take a deep breath and venture out into the blazing heat. I find one of the trees I marked and climb it, disguised as part of the tree. I readied my sling as soon as I hear flapping of wings. I could hear the dragon munching on the slab of meat while flapping. That's why the trigger didn't work! It was still flying! I raised the sling and stretched it out as far as it could go. I released the stone and it hits the beast with a crunch. It roared loudly and panics, triggering the trap and ensnaring it in the giant net.

The flapping wings against the net sent us both hurdling to the ground.

I quickly unsheathed my cane and stuck it in the trunk of a nearby tree, halting my fall. Its body hits the ground in a dull thud. That height won't kill it, I think.

I can't believe it.

I, Terezi Pyrope, have actually caught a dragon lusus.


	2. Chapter 2

"Ignorant child!" a woman's voice echoes through my thinkpan. It caught me by surprise, causing me to stumble in the tree.

"Who's there?!" I shouted. "Get away from my lusus!"

"I am not your lusus quite yet! Release me!"

"Come on, I'm blind, not stupid. Lusii can't talk!"

"I am transmitting my thoughts through your mind."

"Haha, very funny!" My nervous laughter didn't make me feel any better. I stayed quiet to listen for footsteps, but all I heard was the rustling of a squirming dragon against dead leaves.

"Still don't believe me?"

"You're a lusus. Lusii can't talk."

"Were you not listening? I am transmitting my thoughts."

"Prove it."

"Get out of that tree and release me, you silly girl."

"Prove it, then I'll—"

"Are you seriously negotiating with me right now? I am a fucking _dragon!_" The word "dragon" reverberated so much that it gave me a splitting headache.

"Okay, okay. I'm sorry, I'm coming." I groaned as I climbed down the thick branches. Some were missing so I nearly slipped quite a few times.

"Your net really is quite impressive for one who cannot see." She stopped moving once I landed.

"Oh, now you're complimenting me?" I felt around for the net, looking for the essential parts of the net to cut as little as possible. It took me days to make this net, and repairing it will be tough.

"I _am_ your lusus now, and I need to find _something_ good about you." The beast in front of me huffed softly, like she was laughing.

"Very funny," I laughed in return. "Who's the helpless one trapped in the net now?" I started cutting the ropes with my canesword until there was a large enough hole to set her free.

"Who said I was helpless?" By the sound of her mass, she wriggled herself out of it.

I opened my mouth to speak, but screamed instead. I was being hoisted into the air by my arm that wasn't holding my cane and judging by the wind gusts, very fast! "Oh my god, what is THIISSS?!"

"Oh hush, you're going to give away our position." She snorted, slowing down. She suddenly growled slightly. I know that growl. Now that I think of it, I smell blood.

"Are you injured?" I sniffed the air and mounted my cane back into my hilt.

"No, I'm bleeding because I feel like it."

"You need to get medicated! Land so I can fix you!"

She growled again and slowed down to land. As soon as she did, I ripped myself away and unwrapped the protective strips of cloth around my arms to use as bandages. I followed the smell of blood, arms forward and fabric flowing in the breeze. I found the small cut on her back leg. It wasn't bleeding very much, but I would assume it was painful because there was some skin sticking up like a parchment cut. She hissed when I touched it, so I wrapped it then and there. Her leg was massive so I had to use both of them.

"There, all better!" I said, proud of myself. I stood up and put my fists on my hips.

"Thank you, Terezi."

I gasped. I faced the general direction of her head and wandered to it. "How do you know my name?"

"You wanted proof that I could speak directly into your mind?"

"I have reason to believe that my other guardian has written my name on my person somewhere."

"Lusii can't read."

"I think of something else then." I took a deep breath. "I guess I could…" I put my arm out toward her face.

"What are you doing?"

I didn't answer. I kept my mind as blank as possible and trusted my instincts.

"How are you doing that? Keeping your thoughts away?"

I closed my eyes and turned my head as I stepped closer. She snorted and I felt her breath against my palm.

Suddenly, smooth scales and warm air flows over my hand. My breath hitched, trying not to be startled by her movement too much. She had closed the gap between us on her own.

I couldn't help but smile and exhale with relief. I turned to face her, opening my eyes and slowly lifting my other hand.

She seemed to accept me now. I don't believe it!

My grin got bigger as I slowly stroked her snout as carefully as I could.

"Now do you believe me?" The sudden sound of her voice and her unmoving mouth made me jump. I laughed out loud.

"Beyond a reasonable doubt, I believe you are speaking the truth, and nothing but the truth!" I exclaimed, hugging around her snout and jaw. She lifted me up and around and dropped me at the base of her neck.

"Hang on tight." I took her advice and wrapped my arms around her neck. Not a second later, we were soaring through the sky.

-And now for someone completely different-

I can't believe I have to do this shit _again_. Kanaya, my hivemate, is getting too clingy lately.

"Karkat, if you're going to live in my hive, you are going to clean up after your lusus!" Kanaya yelled. She hardly ever gets angry, so I must have screwed up somewhere.

"My lusus is perfectly capable of taking care of its own mess, thank you very much!" I yelled back from my block. "I'm busy sharpening my sickle." Just because she's older than I am, doesn't mean she can boss me around.

"Karkat Vantas, you get out here at once and get your lusus out of the LIVING BLOCK!" Oh shit, that's not Kanaya's voice! I scrambled up from my spot on the floor a dropped my sickle.

"Sorry, Dolorosa, I didn't know you were here!" I apologized, throwing my door open. Hang on.

"Did I convince you well enough?" Kanaya asked, smirking. Crabdad was skittering about, shoving various objects to the ground, most of them hive decorations. He never liked the fabric that was draped everywhere. I don't think he likes bright colors at all. Whatever, they're all horrible anyway, so I'm not going to punish him.

"You damn well did," I scoffed at her. "I nearly cut myself. Again!" I lifted my bandaged arm next to my face. I pointed at it, gestured at it, and presented it like it was on a game show as a prize.

"If I have to keep my lusus outside, why do you have the need to keep yours _in_side?" she asked, putting her hands on her hips and giving me her "I'm scolding you" look.

"Because she's bigger than the hive maybe? I have no fuckin' clue."

"It's because she's not sanitary in nature, and neither is yours. Now go put him in a pond or something!" She points to the front.

"You don't understand, he can't stand fresh water!" I curled my mouth into a snarl and spread out my fingers to display my frustration.

"Either way, he needs to stay outside."

I briefly dropped my anger and asked, "Anything else?"

"Group training starts in an hour, and I am ready to go. Are you?" I paid attention to her getup. She was wearing protective armor and carrying her lipstick in her hand.

"You're kidding me, right?" I crossed my arms and stood defensively. "I'm always ready." I've been training harder than anyone in this stupid town.

My name is Karkat Vantas, and I am simply the best there is. I got a joke weapon, but I was able to work with it. I got a lusus in the most embarrassing way possible, but I got over it. I was only average before, but now I'm on par with Feferi. Well, almost. I don't dare challenge her because her lusus could kill us by whispering. I train by myself, learn by myself, and can take care of myself.

Today, everyone is required to arrive at the practice ring, with or without their lusus. It's practically unheard of to not have one at this point, though. Well, unless you're Terezi Pyrope or Mindfang. But Mindfang is slightly cooler because she made all of the weapons this sweep, except for that stupid gun Eridan keeps toting like a trophy. It's not like he earned it or anything. He just got there first. Terezi's just a blind failure. Who cares if she can wield her weapon well? If a troll doesn't have a lusus, then they're nothing.

I mounted my lusus and told him to go to the practice ring. He takes off immediately.

I wasn't the first one to arrive. There was Terezi, nonchalantly humming and twirling her cane.

"What are you doing?" I asked her.

"Humming," she answered smugly. She continued to do so. It's starting to piss me off.

"Do you even have a lusus yet?"

"Maybe."

"That's not a yes."

Suddenly, my feet fall out from under me and I'm staring at the sky. How the hell did she do that?! "Hehehe."

"Stop that!" I scrambled up and looked at her in the eye. I'm only slightly taller than her, and a lot more muscular, but she doesn't fear me.

"If you're trying to intimidate me, then you're kind of failing. I'm blind, remember?" she cackled. She popped me in the jaw with her cane.

"Hey, ow!" I yelled, rubbing my chin.

"Don't stand so close, Karcrab." She stepped forward and I stepped back. She whispered, "You might get hurt."

That does it. I going to clock her right here and now!

"Cease!" The announcer yelled, shattering both of my ear drums. It turned out that he called himself the Reporter. He should have called himself the Screamer. He's probably the only one who yells more than I do. "The time for dueling will come later. I'll be sure to pair you two up in the ring, along with your lusii."

"Fine, whatever." I stepped away to the giant doors. On the other side awaited place where we'll finally get the proper training to become real troll Vikings!

Over the next few days, we were all paired up differently with each other. I fought a lot with both Sollux and Vriska, but surprisingly not a lot with Terezi. She didn't give me the chance. She always stole my thunder. In every stupid exercise we did! And when we got to split into two separate groups, she would always pick my team. I hope she doesn't have some sort of flush crush on me or something. That would be the worst.

The thing that bothered me most was how she also always ran off as soon as training was over. Every day this happened, and every day, she was a lot stronger than the day before. Too strong. There has to be a reason. But maybe the weirdest of all, every day, she started sniffing everything. I overheard her talking to Nepeta about it, but she said it was a secret.

Then, the solo battles started. No lusii, just trolls and their weapons. Of course, I was paired with Terezi in the first round.

I faced her in the arena, weapons drawn. She had out her cane, which everyone knew there was a sword in there, and I my sickle. I stepped to the side and she mirrored me. Understandable. She used echolocation. I just needed to be quiet, that's all.

"What are you waiting for Mr. Red?" she taunted. I glanced around me and saw the other trolls mot even paying attention. The blind girl versus the number two fighter? Yeah, they knew I was going to win, so there was nothing to watch. I'll have this done quickly.

"I thought I told you to stop calling me that!" I yelled across the way.

"Sorry, I didn't know you were so sensitive!" she fired back. Me? Sensitive?! Sensitive is just another word for soft. Soft is another word for weak. How dare she.

I zig-zagged toward her, taking erratic and large leaps, making sure not to repeat my pattern. As soon as I got close, she took a big whiff and made her move. I side-swiped her with the back of my sickle, expecting her to try to defend herself with the cane and—

Where'd she go?

A blow square in the center of my back. It wasn't fatal, but hard enough to break my posture. "What the—?!" Then I hit the ground. It was almost face-first, but twisted around to land on my knee. I looked up at her and saw a cane in my face.

"Give up Mr. Flushed Quadrant?" she asked with an annoying grin.

I never felt my face and ears get this hot in my entire miserable life. "Never!" I screamed, shoving her cane out of the way with one hand and lunging my sickle with the other, which she dodged.

"Calm down, it was a joke!" She sniffed the air and dodged my attacks. She's getting slower. Good. She's going to pay for that comment!

"RAAUUGHH!" I shouted. Just then, I was on the ground, my shoulder digging into the dirt. "Oof!" I shook my head and looked up. She was standing over me, her blade against my neck.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, sheathing her weapon.

"And the winner is Terezi Pyrope!" the Reporter announced. She turned away and walked right out of those big doors.

"No!" I shouted.

"Yes!" the Reporter countered.

"I wasn't talking to you!" I stormed out the big doors, sickle in hand.

"Come back tomorrow with more respect!"

"Whatever!"

There is no way she is going to get away with this unscathed. Mark my words. I will find out where she absconded to every day and expose her.

I followed her to the forest, keeping her just within sight. Not too close, not too far. When I did lose her, I looked for footprints. I succeeded in keeping a good pace with her.

"Mom!" she called. "Moooom!" Her voice was faint, but distinct. Every time she yelled, I got closer and closer to her position. I got close enough to see the details of her the stitches on her boots and eyed a large rock to perch upon. I climbed up and sat on it. I unhooked my sickle.

"What's a 'Mom'?" I asked just as nonchalantly as she did when she was twirling her cane that day.

"Yee!" she squeals. How attractive.

"Answer my question." I picked up a smooth stone and start sharpening the blade.

"It's a mom, of course!" She's acting weird.

"Wrong answer. Tell me!" I demanded, jumping off the boulder and sauntering.

"It's complicated," she laughed nervously. She started that humming again, the same tune she hums every day, but loudly.

"Stop doing that stupid humming and answer me!" I raised the top curve of my sickle to her neck and propped her chin up. She gulped slowly and sniffed the air, then smiled widely. "What the hell are you smiling at?"

"Behind you," she sang through her teeth.

All of a sudden, there was a loud thud behind me. Then, a short gust of wind. Warm wind. Then another one.

"Mom, this is Karkat." I turned my head around. "Karkat, Mom." No way.

"Whoa!" I yelled, jumping back. In doing so, I dragged us both to the ground, accidentally copping a feel. Oh, crap.

The dragon in front of us roared in my face. I shut my eyes and clamped my hands over my ears, dropping my weapon.

"Calm down, Mom!" Terezi's voice sliced through my temporary deafness. "I know he did! But he didn't mean to!" I opened one eye. She was standing between me and a dragon. "He's a friend!" A motherfucking dragon! I couldn't help but stare into its eyes. "Yes, I know he has red blood, I smelled it, just like you taught me." How the hell does she know that? Nobody knows that! Smelled it? "Mom, no." The thing pushed past her. "Mom, please!" It was coming at me! The last I saw before turning and running was Terezi struggling to jump on the dragon's back.

The next thing I knew, I was hoisted into the air by my arms by sharp talons kicking and screaming.


	3. Chapter 3

"Mom, we need him to like us!" I screamed as she flew higher and higher through the trees. She wasn't answering me. "Just don't kill him!"

"You were unarmed," she replied simply.

"I could've taken him," I told her with my mind. I tried to add my signature snicker in there, but think-laughing is hard. I inhale to see her expression, searching for her red eyes. She had craned her neck to look at me and she rolls her eyes.

"I hope you know what you're doing." She snorted, landing in a tree and dropping the troll. The trees were minty fresh and the leaves a strong magenta this time in the sweep. It got cold again, but now I know how beautiful the forest is.

The entire flight, Karkat was screaming various obscenities, most of them I've never heard before. Even in a state of pure terror, he's creative. I can't help but giggle a little.

"And what the hell are you laughing at?!" he yelled, dangling on a branch by his arms. He was kicking his legs to get a better grip, but the branch was starting to snap. He froze. "Get me out of here," he said in a shaky voice.

You drew your mouth to the side. "Hmm, I don't know," I said. "You didn't ask nicely." I faced Mom. "Hey Mom, do you think he should ask nicely?"

"Are you fucking serious?!" he yelled.

"I think we should drop him," she answered.

I smiled. "Mom thinks you should ask nicely, too." I faced Karkat's general direction again. "Karkat, do you have something to ask me?"

"Look here, nook-sniffer, if you don't get me out of this tree, I'm going to fall to a horrible, painful death."

I pretended to look at my nails. "As far as I know, we're only ten feet off the ground. I'm blind, reme—"

"Okay, okay!" He took a deep breath. "Can you please get me out of this fucking tree? I'd like to live the rest of my short life without being paralyzed from the neck down!"

Eh, close enough. "Okay, let's get him," I said, patting Mom's neck. In my mind, I added, "Let's take him for a ride!"

"The best suggestion you've made all night," she responds. She sent me images of flips and spins and hurdling through the air, but I brushed them off as her joking around.

"Thank you, for once," Karkat mumbled as Mom slowly lifted herself from her perch and positioned herself under him. He let go of the branch and landed behind me.

Then she took off again, much faster than she's ever taken me before! I hung on tight as she did her first upside-down loop. Karkat's arms immediately found my waist. This would have been a lot more romantic if he wasn't crushing the breath out of me.

"Mom, what are you doing?!" I shouted. Again.

"Your dragon mom is crazy!" Karkat yells.

Oh no. She spun barrel rolls. "She can understand you, you know!" I yelled at him.

"Oh great, a sentient lusus!"

"I think she wants you to apologize!"

Silence. He was seething. I smelled his breath and smelled bile. Great, now he's going to throw up!

"If you don't want to upchuck your previous meal, I think you should! I just bathed last week and I want to go at least one more!"

He groaned. "I'm sorry, dragon!" He lifts his head from against my back. "I'm sorry I called you crazy and I'm sorry I tried to kill your ward!"

"That's better," she said smugly. I rolled my eyes.

She slowed down to a glide. I inhaled and smelled the ocean. It was my favorite thing to smell because it changed colors throughout the day and night. I could tell that the green moon was out by the lime-and-licorice scents reflecting off the surface.

Karkat loosened his grip around me. He seemed to realize that he was actually touching me and scooted back.

"I have a stupid question," he deadpanned.

"Er," was all I could reply.

"Why are you keeping this a secret? How did you even get a dragon lusus?" A slight pause. "How long have you even _had_ a lusus?!"

"That's three questions," Mom said gruffly.

"Which one do you want first?" I asked.

"Why is this dragon such a big secret?" Karkat rephrased.

"It's complicated." I found Midfang's journal after our first flight. It disturbed me greatly. She reassured me that telling Karkat right now probably wouldn't be such a good idea. "I'll tell you later."

"Fine. How did you manage to get such a cool lusus?" Cool? I smiled a little.

"I set a trap in a tree!"

"Didn't that piss her off?"

"Immensely," Mom interjected.

I ignored her. "Yeah, but she got over it when I showed her my rad mind powers."

"I'm not going to dignify that with a response. How long have you had this thing?"

I gulped and mumbled, "About three months?"

"THREE MONTHS?!" he shrieked. It's a good thing I can still see by smell, or else he would have gotten dropped for knocking me completely sightless. "Why haven't you said anything? Told anyone? Everyone thinks you're a failure!"

I frowned. "Let them."

Karkat put his hand on my shoulder and forced me to face him. "You're not a failure, Terezi. It's been generations since anyone's even _seen_ a dragon, and here she is, right under our noses! You could completely turn your reputation around! Be a celebrity if you want to!"

"I don't want to be a celebrity!" I exploded. "And fuck my reputation! I told you it's complicated, okay? Just drop it!"

"What the hell are you doing then? You can't keep something this legendary a secret for long. Besides, we all have to train alongside our lusii in public soon. You know what they do to people who don't have one by then."

I stayed silent.

"Terezi, the sun is rising," Mom said. I whiffed. Already the sky was turning pillow-soft pink. "Do you want me to take you home?"

"Yeah," I muttered aloud. "Hang on tight, Karkat."

She turned sharply and zoomed towards town as soon as he wrapped his arms around my waist again.

-The shouty one deserves a turn now.-

I swear, that god-awful sun seriously hates me. As soon as we landed, I already felt my skin starting to burn.

"If you stay out here any longer, you're going to get burned," Terezi said, putting a hand on your arm. I watched the dragon as it flew off back to the trees. "I can already smell it. Come inside, I'll tell you everything." She sheepishly looked at the ground.

I shrugged in response. She took me by the hand and led me inside.

"Well, well, well, look who the blind cat dragged in!" Vriska commented loudly by the fire. She was sharpening with her hand-me-down sword with a strap of leather. I recognized it immediately by the wanted pictures of the infamous pirate Marquise Spinneret. Mindfang must have created a replica or something. She can't do that, can she? Use a weapon besides the one they got from the ring? Or maybe she was just doing Mindfang's dirty work.

"At least I'm not a half-blind cheater," Terezi snarled back.

"Hey Karkat, how's life?"

"Don't talk to me," I said, following Terezi as she tapped her cane along to her respiteblock.

She threw me in and slammed her door, locking it with two deadbolts and a chain.

"Do you seriously need all those?" I asked, giving her an incredulous look.

"Yes," she deadpanned. "Vriska and Mindfang feel the need to know everything about everything." She approached her cocoon, which sat on the ground by the window, and reached behind it, pulling out a book. She sat on the ground and then patted the ground beside her.

I complied. "What's that?" I asked, pointing.

"A journal. I found it the day I came home after finding my lusus. At first I could only make out a few words just by feeling it, but then I started to learn how to smell colors and…" She stopped. "Here, just read it." She shoved the book in my direction, but missed.

I snatched it and flipped to a random page. She drew her knees up and hugged them, burying her face.

" 'What an extraordinary specimen. How I've come to covet the creature since it ruined my fleet. I know too well the whispers of a dangerous new infatu8tion when they 8eckon—' Wait, is she talking about your dragon?!" I exclaimed.

She nodded.

"Your dragon?"

She nodded.

"Are you telling me you've been raised by the infamous pirate Marquise Spenneret?!"

"Keep your voice down!" she unfolded herself and put her hands on the open pages. "She probably doesn't even know it's missing." She was looking at me with her red eyes and a painful expression.

I swallow uncomfortably. "Why haven't you told anyone? Surely Feferi or someone would know what to do."

"I don't know," she mumbled, slouching back to her position and retreating her hands to her lap. "Deep down, I still feel a little loyal to her, you know? Maybe she forgot and stopped looking?" She sighed, then glowered. "But then I think about all those times before the lusus-searching event where she mentioned dragons. She heavily indicated that she still sought possession over one. And not just any dragon. _Mom_."

I went back to the journal and skimmed some pages. "But this says that the lusus she is looking for is called 'Pyralspite'. Are you sure she's the same as 'Mom' or whatever?"

She nodded. "She told me her real name. I renamed her 'Mom' because that's what she is."

"Okay, let's say I believe you." I closed the book one-handed and turned to her. "Which I might. How are you going to complete the training? The training sessions are public, you know."

"Don't remind me! I'll think of something."

"_We'll_ think of something," I corrected.

"No, _you'll_ keep quiet. _I'll_ think of something," she argued.

"Fine, don't get my help!" I threw my arms up, nearly tossing the journal in the slime. I threw the book in her face and scrambled to my feet. "I'll keep your little secret, but see if I ever speak to you ever again! Apart from this little 'arrangement' we just made, we're practically enemies. So good luck!" I stomped off to the door and—

She hugged my legs, making me fall face-first into the floorboards.

"Damn it, what?!" I twisted around to see her face.

"That was for keeping my secret."

"What, making me fall?"

"No, hugging you. Making you fall was an added bonus." She crawled close to my face and pecked my cheek with her eyes closed. "That was for everything else." She smiled as she pulled away.

My eyes went wide as my face flushed unintentionally. "W-whatever," I muttered. In a normal voice, I said, "I'll see you tomorrow." I stood back up and started to unlock the door when I heard her sniffing like a barkbeast.

"Here, take this," she said, handing me some protective clothing. Holy _shit_, this is the expensive stuff! I guess when your troll guardian is a blacksmith you get special orders for yourself.

"Thanks." I pulled the heavy door open and left, ignoring Vriska again. I really hoped I wouldn't have to face Mindfang on the way out of here. I'm a bad liar and I had a feeling the truth would immediately show on my face if she showed up.

Over the next few weeks, we trained more with each other in and out of the arena. In the arena, I was still the second-best, but the other trolls crowded Terezi, which still kind of pissed me off. As good as she was, she still couldn't pass twelfth place because she didn't have a lusus. Out of the arena, she and I would train together riding our lusii. We mainly stayed among the trees. My lusus and I held our own pretty well against both dragon and her rider, but it got exhausting fast and she always bested me. That pissed me off, too. But at the end of the day, I couldn't get the troll girl out of my head, and not in the bad way, either.

Then came the final training before it was time to take our official step into adulthood. It had been a long sweep, and for some of us, longer than others. In two days, the arena will be filled up with more young trolls ready to grow up. Terezi and I still hadn't figured out what to do yet.

"Figure it out yet?" I asked after training. You have to come with a lusus tomorrow, or expect the worst. Terezi expected the worst.

"This sucks," she answered.

My eye twitched. "That's not a yes."

"I'm just going to go to sleep."

"Oh, no you don't!" I grabbed her hand and prepared to drag her all the way to Mom's cave hideout at the base of the mountain where the trees ended, which is a long-ass-fucking way. "We're going to collaborate with your lusus and try to figure out a way to get you out of this."

"Who died and made you leader?" she remarked.

"Me."

She snickered.

"Shut up." She began walking like a normal person after laughing some more. We bickered pretty much all the way to the hideout.

"Karkat, wait!" Terezi whispered. She stopped me by putting an outstretched arm over my chest. She sniffed the air. She gasped and ran to the mouth, feeling around and tasting various grooves in the rocks. It had to be the most disgusting thing I'd ever seen. "She's not here. I taste blood!" She tasted again. "Mom's blood!" she breathed.

A twig snapped behind me and I immediately drew my weapon.


	4. Chapter 4

"If you didn't want me to intrude, then you should have put up a barrier," Sollux commented. He stood next to his hulking lusus, which was on a leash. Its eyes darted between me and Terezi cautiously. I let down my guard.

"We're not here on a romantic excursion," I replied, putting away my weapon. I turned back to Terezi, who was on the ground, frantically sniffing around for evidence. I made sure to take heavy steps so she could hear me coming.

"Then what are you doing?" he asked. I tapped her shoulder, but she ignored me. She does this when she's talking with Mom. "Technically, you're both invading _my_ property."

"Come on, Terezi, we'll come back later." I gently took her arm and pulled her up easily. Great, she's in a daze. Time to drag her again. Maybe someone in town will have seen an injured dragon flying around somewhere. Or some guy selling the thing. Stealing a lusus is a deplorable crime, and the higher the blood caste of the victim, the worse the punishment.

"Tell me why you're here, and I won't fight you now." He crossed his arms and got in the way.

"Move. We're kind of in a hurry."

He looked over at Terezi, who was practically limp and mumbling to herself. "Yeah, sure. Biclops!" he yelled tilting his head back. Oh, fuckbuckets.

"SOLLUS?" it growled in response.

"Terezi, get on your feet! We gotta go!" I ordered. I shook her shoulder and she snapped out of it.

"Hold them down," Sollux ordered, pointing. "And don't kill them thisth time!" Wait, Sollux has a lisp?

"SOLL!" it roared, rattling my thinkpan. I let go of her and clamped my hands over my ears. Holy shit, that thing is almost as loud as that dragon! It raised its fists above its head. There was no way to run from this. Even if we escaped the pounding of a lifetime, the shockwave would have knocked us off our feet and we would have been pounded anyway.

"I'm sorry, we won't do it again!" Terezi pleaded. "I'm looking for my lusus!"

"Hang on!" he grabbed a handful of his lusus' skin on his leg. The beast froze and turned both heads to his ward. "She doesthn't have a… wait a minute. KK, did you know that?"

"Yeah, so what?!" I yelled. "It's not like you told us you had a lisp!"

"It's not the same thing, dumbass, and you know it," he said slowly. "I alstho don't live in town! You didn't tell me that, Terezi!"

"There are a lot of things I don't tell you anymore," she whispered. She grabbed my arm and pulled me roughly. "Come on, Karkat, we have to get to town before she gets sold or made to fight or worse!" I have no idea what's happening here.

"Okay, you have a point, but maybe I can help."

She stopped walking.

"Biclops had been hearing weird shit around here lately. Game we caught dithappeared. I hired Nepeta, but she couldn't tell me anything definitive. Only sthcales and bones." He caught up with us. "Judging by the cave back there, I'm thinking it was living here. What wasth it?"

"A dragon," she answered sheepishly.

"That's pretty awesthome."

"Yeah, yeah, we know it's awesome," I broke in. "Either help us or not. We need to hurry before the sun comes up."

"Sure. I'll give you two a ride." Sollux snapped his fingers and his lusus approached, swiftly picking him off the ground and placed him between the two heads. It then reached down and picked me and Terezi up as well.

I should be used to being kidnapped by lusii by now, but I'm not.

Thanks to Sollux's lusus, we got to town a lot faster than we arrived. Immediately, Terezi jumped off and started sniffing around. She wordlessly darted around the hives on the edge of town, following a trail of teal droplets, some of them I would have never found. We lost Sollux along the way, since he had to leave his lusus out of the confined neighborhood. I helped Terezi not bump into other trolls and whatnot the whole way, which was fucking exhausting. We asked if anyone had seen a large, bleeding lusus, but they all said they were at the arena watching the training sessions. Of course.

People started closing their doors on us when we got close to the arena. I looked at the sky and saw that the sky was already orange.

"Terezi, we need to get inside," I warned. "Have you tried contacting her with your mind or whatever?"

"You think I haven't been trying that?!" she yelled.

"I don't know, I can't read your mind!"

"It's been driving me crazy because I haven't!" The rays were coming up over the rooftops. "I'm usually always talking with her, and the only time we're not is when one of us is sleeping. I thought it was weird that she hadn't said anything right after training started. I knew I should have checked on her this morning!"

"You go all the way out to the cave before training every evening?"

"Most days yeah, just to say good evening. Is that crazy?"

"Well, I can't really say anything about that because my lusus lives in my hive with me." I paused, frowning. "Now that I think of it, that's pretty crazy." Maybe Kanaya was right. I'm such an idiot sometimes. "Come on, Terezi, I'll take you home."

She sniffed the air one final time. "Okay," she sighed.

Since it was so late, we had to run all the way back. I offered my hand, but she smirked and bragged she could probably see better than I could with her smell-o-vision and taste-o-vision. Whatever, I didn't want to do it anyway.

We got to her hive in the nick of time. It was dark inside. Too dark. Nobody was here. I frowned.

"Where is everybody?" I asked. "And can we light a fucking torch or something?"

Terezi stayed eerily silent.

"Where are your firestarters? I can't see shit."

"I can," she muttered darkly. "Where's Mindfang?"

"Probably sleeping?" Karkat answered. I tried to shoot him a look, but it was too dark for him to see. "I don't know! Maybe she stayed too late at the smithshop?"

Blood. Blood everywhere. I didn't need to take a deep inhale to smell the atrocious crime scene in front of me. It was clear as air what happened here.

"Is this a torch? I'm burning it anyway." He lit the torch. "Holy-" he gagged.

"She's not here. They were, but now they're not."

"Mindfang and your lusus?" It sounded like he was covering his mouth.

"Bloody drag marks in the floor would indicate that, yes."

"Oh." He must have looked down.

I pressed my hand against my forehead and took a handful of my own hair. "Why am I so useless?" I sniffed. My other hand joined in, trying to wipe the new tears away. I couldn't hold it in anymore. I suppressed myself so I wouldn't look like a blubbering idiot in front of Karkat. "I can't do anything right… I'm a failure. I can't even protect my own lusus! I should have just given up when—"

That's when it hit me.

Well, Karkat did. Right in the kisser. With his fist.

"YOU. ARE NOT. A FAILURE!" he shouted in my face. I winced as he clapped his hands on my shoulders. "First of all, you have a fucking _dragon_ for a lusus! Second, you beat me in every sparring match, in and out of the arena, which is not easy, by the way! And third…!" He stopped.

I waited. The weight against my shoulders increased slightly, like he was slouching. Then, he tightened his grip. Was he pulling me? "What?"

His breath hitched. "I'll tell you later." When did he get so close to my face? I felt my face get slightly warmer and gulped. My sinuses were clogged from crying so I probably shouldn't cry anymore. "For now, we have to go find Mindfang and question her." He patted my shoulder and slid his hands off me.

All of a sudden, there was a thump coming from upstairs. We both drew our weapons. "Let's go," I whispered.

"Right."

I led the way, up the stairs and to the block where the thumps were heard. They're too light to be Mom's, and not quite as heavy as Vriska's. "On three, we barge in."

He kicked the door open.

"I didn't say three!" I yelled.

"I don't care!" He pushed past me, following the noise to under Vriska's cocoon. "Are you fucking kidding me?!"

"What?"

"Hey, hold still you little shit!" Karkat was wrestling with a small white mammalian lusus. "I'm trying to free you!" Its cries were stifled by some kind of muzzle or band of fabric. Then I heard the tinkling of a bell.

"Tinkerbull!" I exclaimed.

"No shit!"

"Here, let me do it, you're scaring him!" I sheathed my canesword and got down on my knees next to the pair. Karkat must have free the wings, because the tiny bull immediately escaped and flew into my arms. "Did mean ol' Karkles scare you? I'm sorry, little Tinkerbull. Let me get those binds off for you."

"Your grubtalk is nauseating."

"Oh hush, Karkat." The tiny lusus stayed still as I continued to talk to him and cut the remaining ties around his legs. "There we go."

Tinkerbull flew in large circles around the respiteblock, ringing his little bell as he flew.

"You think he wants us to follow it?" I asked.

"Better than nothing," Karkat answered. "If this guy is here, then Tavros must be under some sort of influence."

"I'm starting to get the impression that there are a lot more people involved that shouldn't be." Vriska and Tavros have no interest in dragons at all. Why they would willingly help Mindfang isn't a complete mystery so far, but the pieces are coming together. "Do you need to borrow our stuff again?"

"Duh. I'll be a living slice of toast if I go out there."

I chuckled. "You're about Vriska's height, so her stuff should fit you." Fortunately, she only picks out one-piece hoods that go to her knees. I prefer sleeves and wraps so I can use my arms. But since Vriska's blood color is so much higher, the protection is thinner. It's a good thing the weather is starting to get cold again.

It takes about two minutes for us to get out the door and follow Tinkerbull to where Mindfang is.

_I'm coming, Mom!_

Lo and behold, we arrive at the arena. Tinkerbull mooed urgently and knocked his head against the door, ramming it. If only we had Aradia's lusus, she could break down the huge double-doors easily.

"Mindfang, we know you're in there!" I shout. "Open these doors or we'll break them down!"

No response.

"We're coming in!" I took out my sword and raised it to break the chain padlock, but then I smell a flash of black and blue behind me and felt my weapon being ripped away. "Hey!"

"So nice of you to show up in my hour of redemption! I do love guests." she called down from above. She must be on top of the spectator area. I looked up in her general direction.

"What have you done with her?"

"_It_ is mine, so you don't have to worry one little bit!"

"Give us back the dragon or else!" Karkat demands.

She leapt down from her perch and landed in front of us. Her blueberry-blackberry outfit was menacing. "Or else what, mutant?" She leaned in close to Karkat. Too close. I felt my eye twitch. "You'll fight me? Did you forget I _made_ that thing in your hand? So I know its shattering point."

He stood his ground. "Why don't you fucking try?"

Mindfang laughed out loud. "Why don't _you_ fucking try?" She walked toward me, confidently turning her back towards Karkat. "Now what were you saying to me?" she asks in an intimidating tone.

"Where are you keeping my lusus?" I repeated.

"_Your_ lusus?" She laughed out loud again. "I didn't know it was _yours_."

"She is, now give her back."

"Why? A failure like you will only slow it down. I know its true purpose. I have for many sweeps, since before you were hatched. It was born for conquest, like me."

"So your journal is an accurate tome then?" I asked darkly.

"Ah, so _you_ found it? I thought Vriska had it, since she was so obsessed with copying me. Didn't you think it was a magnificent piece of writing?"

"I thought you were full of yourself."

"Is that what you really think?"

"Yes."

"Well, since you have managed to find something on your own, then I assume you have reached the section where I have been searching for that magnificent beast?" She paused, expecting me to answer. When I didn't, she moved on. "It wasn't easy, waiting so long for it to return. You see, I never chose a lusus myself, and decided to become a pirate instead. I usurped the power of many trolls, but finding it was a fruitless effort. And then I found this small village. The legends that surrounded this place were so thorough and detailed, it was almost as if the dragon lived here itself! So I stayed. Sweep after sweep I hid. I hid until the stories of the great pirate Marquise Spinneret had long faded from memory. So I kept up the legend, inserting half-truths here and there. She really did take my arm, though. My eye is completely healed."

Karkat growled from where he was standing, unable to move for whatever reason. She was probably controlling him. I've seen it done when Vriska or I disobeyed her in the past.

"And then _you_ came along," she continued. "Dear sweet, precious Terezi! I knew the shade of Redglare's blood the moment I laid eyes on you as a grub. There was only one problem: you were blind. I knew that you wouldn't survive on your own, so I took you under my wing. I had hoped that one day, you will be able to bring that dragon to me."

I balled up my fists. She was more rotten than I thought. Everything was a lie. She never pitied me, she only wanted to use me. I wasn't sad, I was angry.

"But you really should be grateful. Where I came from, disabled grubs were exterminated from the get-go. Unfortunately, I felt that in bringing you in my care was not going to pan out. The training time came and you never got a lusus. I trained you hard so that you could get its attention. I also figured that since you were so enamored with dragons that you would leap at the chance to tell everyone in town the minute you got your dragon lusus! So I waited some more and even followed you to training sessions."

Was it just me, or did she like to talk a _lot?_ At this rate, the sun will go down while she'll still be talking. And the more she talked, the angrier I got.

"And then you became friendly with this guy." She circled around me and pushed me towards Karkat, who was still frozen in place. "It was odd to me, particularly because you and he had such a splendid rivalry. So about a month ago, I followed _him_, since you had gotten better at smelling colors and whatnot. I would have been discovered prematurely. And you know what I found?" She leaned in and whispered, "A cave at the base of the mountain with a dragon in it." She led the three of us into the shade in front of the doors.

Come to think of it, where did Tinkerbull go? I haven't heard his bell in a while. I took a deep breath through my nostrils and smelled Karkat's face red with anger. Mindfang must have been controlling his gaper as well.

"To wrap this up, since I know we all have places to be, people to see, I borrowed Vriska's mind for a bit. I made her link with Tavros as well, since he works so well with the species around here. And through them both, I was finally able to break through to the dragon's mind."

"You didn't…" I muttered.

"I did," she sang. "Pyralspite! Reveal yourself!"

Immediately, I heard the unmistakable beating of my lusus' wings. Her mind was completely broken off from mine. She landed in front of us with a thundering blow to the stone streets, cracking them on impact. It took all I had not to break down. Come on, Terezi, think of something!

"Isn't it beautiful?" she mused. "It took my arm, impaired my eye, but I still made it mine. My wonderful, powerful slave. Oh have I dreamed of coveting this creature, and now it has finally happened." She caressed Mom's snout. It made my skin crawl. "And now that it has, you have to die. I have no further use for you. Thank you, Terezi."

"Mom," I whispered. "Please hear my voice at least." The red eyes blinked, unsure of what it just heard. I spoke louder. "Mom! Can you hear me? It's me, Terezi!" She growled.

"Easy, Pyralspite," cooed Mindfang. "Wait until I back away."

I didn't wait.

I jumped right at her, hugging around her neck. "Mom! It's me! I know you're in there! Please come out!"

"How dare you!" Mindfang cried. "Kill her!"

Mom roared, making my ears ring. I felt the back of my clothes being torn as she grabbed ahold of them in her mighty jaws. "Mom don't do this! I am your ward! Your responsibility! I made a pact! Remember me!"

She snatched my leg, practically crushing it. I screamed out in pain, but held tighter around her neck. I could hear Mindfang barking orders and Karkat yelling at me.

"Terezi!" he cried. "Terezi!"

"Did I _say_ you could talk?!" Mindfang screeched.

Mom pulled at my leg until I was positive that I was bleeding profusely. "Mom, stop it! You're hurting me!" I don't remember when my tears started flowing again. My grip started to falter. "I don't know if you can hear me in there, but…" I squeezed my eyes and arms tighter. "I love you, Mom."

Suddenly, the pain alleviated. I opened my eyes. I still hugged my lusus, but she had put my injured leg back down and wrapped her neck, front legs, and wings around me protectively.

"I love you too, Terezi." At last!

"Mom, you're back!" I rubbed my face against her smooth milky-white scales. Her thick throat vibrated as she laughed softly.

"What?!" Mindfang shrieked lividly. "You're supposed to be under my control!"

"Not anymore!" Karkat yelled, kicking her feet out from under her. So he was freed, too.

The big doors creaked open, revealing orangey Tavros and bluish Vriska, along with Tinkerbull and Vriska's lusus.

"There you are—DRAGON!" shouted Vriska. "Terezi?!"

"Uh, what's going on?" Tavros asked.

"You're all going to _pay_ for this!" Mindfang yelled.

"Spidermom, get her," Vriska commanded. As soon as she said it, the hulking lusus squeezed through the doors and wrapped up the adult troll in webbing from her front legs. I'm sure it was amusing to see, but I didn't care. My lusus, my dragonmom, was back. And I needed medical attention.

"Hey guys, I'm kind of bleeding from my limb here," I stated.

"Here, I got it," Karkat said. Mom growled at his approach, but he growled back and she let him through. "Terezi, does your lusus always have such foul language?"

"Karkat, does she always talk to you?"

"First time." He lifted my leg and wrapped something around my leg. "Fuck, this'll do for now. We need to get you to a medical facility."

"I live close by," Tavros pipes up. "It's actually uh, right there, three hives away." I started to feel really tired.

"I'm so comfy in my lusus' arms, I could just fall asleep tight here!" I said lazily. I felt my eyelids droop lower and lower. I really didn't care if I didn't have slime right now.

"Don't let her fall asleep!" Tavros informed them. He said more things, but everyone's fretting had already faded away.

"Terezi, you need to stay awake," Mom warned.

"Five more minutes," I mumbled, falling asleep.

I woke up the next night, surprisingly. I'd only been out twenty-four hours. I looked up at my leg, which was completely wrapped up and sticking out of my cocoon. It still stung, so I wiggled my toes and assessed that it'll heal.

Something tapped on my window and opened it.

"Rise and shine," Mom said, sticking her head in through the window.

I smiled widely. "Good evening, Mom."

"You have a visitor."

"Oh?"

She retracted her head and some angry yelling ensued. She had brought Karkat in through the window in her jaw. She dropped him on the floor and closed the window.

"Hey Karkat."

"Hey, Terezi," he muttered nervously. "I just wanted to say two things. No more, no less."

"Lay it on me."

I heard him shuffle closer. He flicked his finger between my eyebrows.

"Ow! What was that for?" My hands went for the second injury immediately.

"That was for getting hurt and freaking me out while I couldn't do anything."

"What was the second thing?" I glowered, crossing my arms.

"The second thing!" He placed his palms on my cheeks and planted a kiss right on my lips. Finally. "That was for everything else." Then, he practically pulled me out of my cocoon and hugged me.

"Aw, you returning my red feelings? See, I knew you weren't so grumpy after all."

"Shut up, you're ruining it."

A/N: I'm considering writing an epilogue to this. We'll see. This was a lot of fun, and I hope you guys enjoyed it!


	5. Epilogue

A few days after I woke up after getting injured, I was finally allowed to leave the hive. Karkat was being especially persnickety about it, too. "Don't do anything, your leg will get fucked up" was a more popular reasoning he used to make me rest. Today though, it didn't hurt when I woke up.

I got out of my cocoon fairly easily and stumbled down the stairs into the living block. My leg was starting to hurt a bit now.

"Ow," I groaned, kicking a generic blunted object. That actually felt pretty terrible awful. I need to sit.

"Terezi, do you want me to let Karkat know you're awake?" I heard mom's voice.

"Oh god, no," I laughed weakly. "He'll flip his shit for sure." Why is it so cold in here? I need to get out of this stupid hive. I've been smelling nothing but the walls for days now, and I need to smell the trees and the dirt and the water and the leathered armor and—

"Too late, he's a few steps away. Do you need me to growl at him?" I heard her shift her weight on the roof.

"Crap," I muttered, smacking my forehead. "No, I need to show him I can do this without his help." I know he pities me, but I don't need him to _pity_ me.

He didn't even bother knocking before coming in. "Hey, Terezi!" he called loud enough to hear from my respiteblock. He must not have seen me yet. "I brought you some meat!"

"Feed me, Karkat!" I shouted from my chair in a funny voice.

"Jegus!" I heard the supplies hit the ground as he jumped. Some brightly-colored packages landed far away from him, like he threw them in the air. I also smelled a sweet red aura coming at me. "Don't fucking do that to me!" He got in my face.

"I love you, too, Karkles." I smiled.

"I thought you were upstairs. The torch isn't lit so I couldn't see you here."

I sniffed the air. No smoke. Oh. "I'm sorry."

"So, you look okay," he said after an awkward silence.

"I want to go outside."

"You sure?"

"You're such a hover-lusus!" I stood up slowly. Ow again. "See, I'm fine! Let's go to the communal mess hall. I'm hungry."

"I was going to make you something, but I _guess_ that can wait," he said with a bitter tone. A pang on regret hit me, but I didn't dare say it out loud. He put one of the packages in the ice box, and the rest he unceremoniously tossed onto another chair. "Okay, let's go."

The short walk to the indoor eatery took way longer than necessary. It got easier to ignore the pain when it subsided to a dull ache instead of a stabbing. I can get used to this "walking" thing, I laughed.

Karkat eyed me warily the whole way. He said that it'd be much easier to just ride my lusus, who decided to stay on the roof of the hive.

I told him he was being a worrywart.

He told me he was looking out for me.

I told him he was being ridiculous and groped for his hand. I found it. He tried to escape but I held him tight.

"Terezi, over here!" Vriska called from halfway across the plaza.

"You're back!" Nepeta exclaimed.

A flurry of people practically swarmed and attacked us, dragging the two of us to a wood bench and table.

"So how'd you do it?" Vriska asked as soon as the initial excitement was over. Everyone had settled down around us, Vriska across from me, Karkat to my left, Tavros to my right, and even the twins Nepeta and Equius and the seadwellers Eridan and Feferi.

"Do what?" I asked. I did a lot of things, I guess.

"Get a dragon lusus!" Feferi chired.

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Well, I read a lot about them. Studied what they ate and how big they were, for starters." I smirked. "They're weak for meat."

"Careful where you tread, young lady," Mom's voice echoed.

"And they're really big, too, so I had to look up how to make a net," I continued.

"What I don't get is why you needed to do all that!" Vriska said. "I mean, why read the words when you can just catch the stuff the words tell you stuff about?"

Stunned silence. I did my best to stare in her general direction while everyone else stared, too.

"What?! You just do it, don't you?" Her fist hit the table with a bang. "That's what I did."

"That was just a lucky catch," Tavros pointed out. "You uh, didn't really do anything but sneak up on her with nothing but a rope."

"I'm going to punch you," she threatened, leaning across the table. The wood creaked under her weight.

"Calm down, Vriska," Kanaya said calmly. She pulled back my scourge sister. She complied. Wow. I can't tell if that's a good thing or not.

"My question is, how do you smell with the colors?" Eridan asked.

"That's a secret!" I piped. "Mom taught me how."

"Is it the same as smelling scents frrom purrey?" Nepeta pitched.

"Kind of? It's complicated." I'm starving. "What's a troll got to do to get some grub!"

"I got it," Karkat volunteered. He climbed out of his seat and was instantly replaced by the male seadweller. I could tell because he smelled of fish and his tunic gave off an eggplanty color. He sat a bit too close so I scooted away. Despite the purple blob next to me, my left side still felt empty.

"What was crazy was when you faced Mindfang," Feferi said. "She wasn't only your guardian, but also that infamous pirate! I would have kelped you out, you know."

"You're so nice, Feferi," I sighed. "It was complicated, though. I still felt obligated to her, but she wanted to capture my lusus for herself! She's a higher blood caste than me, so I wasn't sure what to do." I want to hate her, but I can't.

"I admire your loyalty, but I do admit it was unwise," Equius said after a short awkward silence.

"That's so sweet, Equius!" Nepeta mused. Her olive form pounced on him in a blur, making them both fall to the ground.

"Nepeta, stop this ludicrous behavior! We are in public!"

While they continued their spiel, Tavros got my attention. "I'm sorry, Terezi."

"For what?" I asked, scrunching my eyebrows together.

"For helping Mindfang, even uh, unintentionally."

I shook my head and smiled. "It's okay, you didn't mean to, so it's all good!"

"I'm sorry, too," Vriska added.

"Thanks, Vriska," I replied. I'm not used to all this niceness. I'm overcome with feelings and I can't help but smile and try not to cry happy tears.

"Fightin' a pirate, though!" Eridan elaborated once again.

I turned to face him and gave him a sour look, which apparently didn't faze him in the slightest.

"You're crazy!" Then he leaned in a whispered, "I like that."

"That's enough!" Karkat shouted, yanking him away by his horn. He was absolutely steaming red.

"What did you do that for?! Almost broke my fuckin' horn off!" I smelled a purple bruise forming on the seadweller's scalp.

"Stay away, or next time I will break them _both_ off!" He slammed the metallic plate of food on the table. The food jumped on impact, but stayed on the plate. I wasn't sure if the heat on my face was because of the food or Karkat's chivalry.

I sniffed the food. It was an entire rotisserie cluckbeast. A decently small meal for a growing troll Viking. "Thank you, Karkat!" He sat down and I leaned up to lick his face.

"Don't mention it—EW, GROSS! GET OFF!" He shoved me while the other troll Vikings erupted into a fit of giggles.

"I'll mention it if I want to," I chuckled, giving his cheekbone a sloppy one. He just flushed and side-hugged me close.

Alternia: The weirdest planet you'll ever come across. Filled with troll Vikings and lusii. It has its perks, though.


End file.
